Category Archives: Thoughts
Spa Night Lessons ….Or My V-8 moment
Yesterday my church had a spa program for the ladies. Among other things I volunteered to do a guided meditation using Young Living Essential Oils my favorite. After having done an hour or two of hand and arm massage, I got everyone quiet and did a short meditation. After we finished people were coming up to me and thanking me for a few minutes of pleasant peace. I felt like I was having a V-8 moment. I wanted to pop myself in the forehead. Why don’t I do as I say? Starting each day appreciating the things that I have and looking forward to a whatever is ahead. Prayer and meditation should be my routine. So I’m happy we did the spa day. It was another reminder of what’s really important.
Did I Mention That I Love My Nook?
The Nook that my husband gave me for my birthday is my new favorite toy. Like Apple, Barnes & Noble offers free classes to Nook owners and I took one recently. Wow! I am finding new ways to use it weekly. I keep my grades and attendance on it and take notes and read books. I also use it to look at my YouTube knitting and crocheting videos. And oh yes my guilty pleasure playing games. I was introduced to Quell by someone at the Nook seminar. OMG, I’m hooked. Very adult and lots of fun. Good for the brain for sure. Best of all I have a picture of the cutest grandboy in the world on mine!!
In The Zone Once Again
Today, Wednesday, the coldest day of the year so far for us and I decide to visit a gym where some of my friends belong. It’s fairly new and has all the requisite equipment. The price is right and so I embarked on a mini-workout. Wow I’m out of shape. Swimming does somethings but my muscles need work. Part of my reason for doing this is to improve my strength in the pool. Anyway I took my ipod and started walking on the treadmill. Like the pool I can get lost in the activity at the gym. Don’t need anyone to go with me. Sorry but I don’t need to chitchat. Today I was appalled at how little stamina I had on the treadmill, bike and elliptical machine. The challenge has been presented and I will slip into my zone tomorrow when I get there. I love it.
Lessons from Mom
My Christmas 2012 age 96
I was just going through the pictures that we took last month and came across this one. It’s my Mom. If we’re lucky she’ll be 97 in March. She has all of her faculties and basically takes care of her self. She won’t leave the house any more but she gets around inside. Yesterday was one of her most important days. She got to see the President sworn in for a second time. She voted for him both times (the second with an absentee ballot) and marvels at living long enough to see his presidency. Being born the grand-daughter of slaves it’s a pretty big deal to her. While we don’t always agree – both of us are opinionated – I have learned lots of lessons from her. For sure she has aged with grace and does not take any day for granted. She tells us often that if she goes today it’s okay. She has lived her life. She has few friends left but keeps up with mine and they enjoy the time and conversations with her. She dotes on the great grandkids and no matter how much she tries to get away from them when she’s tired, they end up in her room. She still puts on lipstick every day and recently had me order several of her favorite perfumes. She smells pretty good in the morning when she comes out to take her medicine! Don’t ask her opinion if you don’t want it. I’ve learned that one the hard way. All in all it’s a delight to have her around.
Who Can Predict The Weather?
For the last ten years I have fed the birds in my yard. Normally we see a group of regulars including Mourning Doves, Finches, Sparrows, and big obnoxious Blue Jays. Last week we had a surprise visit from a hawk. Needless to say he cleared the area. Anyway we occasionally see a pair of Cardinals. It dawned on my husband and I that we only see the Cardinals when it has or is about to snow. Hmn. I saw them today and snow is predicted for the over night hours. I’ll let you know. If I’m right you can just contact me before traveling. Lol!!!
Resisting the Urge to Hibernate
It’s winter and I believe that I’m not alone when I say that it’s tough to get the work out in. I wear this little gadget called and Activelink which I purchased from Weight Watchers. It syncs with your computer and registers all of your daily activities. Fits into my lifestyle and unlike other gadgets of this type I can wear it in the pool. Anyway during the summer and fall I was working out at least six days a week and the effort was showing. Now it’s winter and even though I am in the pool 3-4 days a week even there I’m not putting forth the effort I did earlier in the year. This week I’m going to add an at home workout and up my efforts in the pool. I know I need it but sitting on the couch knitting with a fire in the fireplace seems pretty neat. Any suggestions out there?
Wow! I Did It!!!
Today only Tony and I were at the pool. This time of year is rough and everybody can’t make it every day. Anyway I told him what Corey suggested to increase my freestyle distance and proceeded to show him. I made it down the pool turned around and headed to the second line. After a couple of times Tony said see how far you can go. Well I did a bit more than the second line but that was it. So he said can you get a song in your head and sing it to yourself. I said yes. So he said okay we’re going to swim a lap slowly and you concentrate on the song in your head. Turn at the end and just see how far you can come. So we did and I made it about 3/4 ‘s of the way back before I felt like I was out of breath. Next Tony said okay swim slowly and when you turn just keep singing. Well I’ll be darned. Two laps, 50 yds. done!!! We talked for a while and I said I have to leave and Tony said okay let’s do two more laps. I did it a second time. I love my team & coach!!!
Pool Fun
Our pool is open Tuesday through Saturday and we practice Tuesday through Friday. With the holidays, closures due to “Sandy” and other storm damage, personal issues, this is the first day that more than three or four of us have been in the pool at the same time. I think there were ten of us this morning. There was some swimming, some racing and a lot of talking. I’m not sure I did eight laps. I did however get to catch up with everyone. It was so much fun. I felt guilty for a minute that I didn’t use my pool time wisely but what the heck. It was really nice. The pool was warm in spite of the hole in the roof. The locker room and the shower was toasty and I sure felt better afterward. Sometimes I just wanna have fun!
Sunday’s Are For Renewal
So let me start out by saying that I teach for a total of six hours a week. So don’t cry for me. Still I guard Sundays with a ferocity that may surprise some. Church is my choice so I go every Sunday with few exceptions. In nicer weather church is preceded by a walk in the park. Afterwards though I try to do as little as possible. Since I teach on Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. some school work is involved. My husband and I usually watch something that we DVR’d earlier in the week and I usually prepare dinner. What I really avoid is anything that causes stress and since I retired from my former career six years ago I have little stress about work.
I know that many of you have family and other responsibilities that occupy your Sundays. Some of you have to work. So your Sunday may be Wednesday. The point is that we all need a day that we can live stress free. It’s the day that we start the clock over and hopefully find that sense of renewal. Church triggers the renewal for me. So press on and enjoy the moments that you have. Tomorrow it starts again!
In Tough Times Stick With Familiar Activities
Since December several of my friends have dealt with parents with serious health issues. No matter what our ages, we don’t want to deal with our parents mortality. The likelihood is that we will out live them and we just don’t want to see that day come. My Dad died when I was in my mid-twenties and I of course miss him to this day. My Mom is still here at 96 and at least once a week she says “well how long do you think I’m going to be here?” I don’t know and today I don’t want to talk about it. So I can appreciate how they all feel. We can’t do much about these situations. We can be good supportive children and then the rest has to be left to prayer if you pray. I am here to tell you though that we need to do the things that will keep our sanity and give us bits of relief from our worries. For me and some of my friends that happens in the pool.
You all know that I am in the pool as often as I can be. Some days are better than others but all time in the pool is time I am not thinking about anything else. I sputter and choke a bit and still lack the stamina that I need but for sure I am not thinking about bills or ills when I am swimming. You may have something else that takes you away from it all and I encourage you to do that. Take the time for that familiar activity that makes you feel good. You won’t be sorry!
First Steps the Hardest 